The Delta Works is a huge series of flood protection barriers that span the southwestern coast of the Netherlands. Today we visited one of the Deltaworks sites, Deltapark Neeltje Jans. This site is the main tourist hub for viewing and exploring the history of the barriers and is located in the middle of Oosterscheldekering, the most famous component of the Deltaworks.
Oosterscheldekering is a moveable dam that spans 9 kilometers between Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland. Originally, the Dutch government planned to build a standard dam to completely block the North Sea from flooding the country. However, fisherman and environmentalists protested this idea as removing the flow of salt water from the ocean would destroy the local fishing industry and the water’s ecosystem.
To combat these concerns, engineers reimagined their design so that the dam could be opened and closed. Under normal weather conditions, the dam remains open so that the tides can flow freely. When there are high water levels or impending storms, the gate is closed, effectively blocking the North Sea. The gates are manually operated by a small team of people but also have an advanced computer system in place that is able to control them in case manual operation fails.
Seeing this final design in place made me think about the values that the government and engineers held while constructing this solution. There are many instances where wildlife is not considered this greatly before solving a problem for humans. Also, despite the significant increase in cost, it is still what people in power deemed best for the future of the people and the ecosystems. I felt that this design was very thought-through to address the issues at that time.
Unfortunately, times are changing, and sea levels are rising. The Dutch have recognized that eventually Oosterscheldekering will no longer be effective within the next 100 years, but have not yet determined their next steps. I am curious to see when a change will be implemented, as the rate of sea level rise is increasing as well.
While at Deltapark Neeltje Jans, we were also able to explore their tourist activities, such as aquariums, water slides, and a storm simulator. We also tried Dutch cinnamon rolls, called Zeeuwse Bolus, in the cafe. They are made from an enriched yeast dough, and instead of having the cinnamon and sugar rolled into the dough, the dough is coated entirely with them.
